TDCJ COVID-19 Numbers Not Slowing Down

Beto, Eastham, Michael Cases Go Up

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

EAST TEXAS –The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a major employer in both Anderson and Houston Counties. Prison facilities employ a significant number of workers and there are at least 20 prisons in the area to where people commute on a daily basis, including units in Huntsville, Rusk and Tennessee Colony.

Even though some prisons throughout the state have not yet seen a case of COVID-19, quite a few others have. System-wide, as of Thursday, April 16, there were 31 pending tests. Of the other 531 tests given to offenders, there were 327 positive results and 204 negative results.

Three weeks later – on May 7 – the numbers showed a drastic increase. There were 244 pending tests. Of the other 1,536 tests given to offenders, there were 965 positive results and 571 negative results.

The numbers have continued to an increase as TDCJ reported the total number of positive cases had gone from 3,408 on May 28 to 4,570 active cases on Thursday, June 4. The latest update also showed an additional 1,917 recoveries. 

On April 16 – for employees and contract staff – 158 people had tested positive for the virus while 647 tested negative. There are also 259 pending tests.

By May 7, 535 TDCJ employees had tested positive for the virus. Nearly 1,524 had tested negative and there were 424 pending tests. 

Three weeks later on May 28, 888 TDCJ employees had tested positive for the virus. By June 4, 991 employees had tested positive for the virus. The TDCJ also listed 509 recoveries and seven employee deaths. 

With limited social distancing for the prisoners, the close confines often times prevent correctional officers and TDCJ staff from adhering to the prescribed six feet away distance, which often allows COVID-19 to spread unchecked. 

Once inside the unit, the virus can spread rapidly from offender-to-offender, as well as to the TDCJ employees. At the end of their shifts, the correctional workers leave the unit where they work and return to the communities where they live, not knowing if they have been infected.     

There are six regions in the TDCJ system along with private facilities, a multi-use facility and parole confinement facilities. Anderson County and Houston County fall in Region II and Region I, respectively.

In Region I there are 13 prison units, with one inside of Houston County and seven more relatively close to the county boundaries. These units are: Eastham; Ellis; Estelle; Ferguson; Goree; Holliday; Huntsville; and Wynne. 

In Region II there are also 13 prison units, with five inside of Anderson County. These units are: Beto; Coffield; Gurney Transfer; Michael; and Powledge.

Using the TDCJ categories of offender pending tests, negative tests, positive tests, medical restriction and medical isolation, the 13 area prisons showed the following results.  

In Region I: 

• Eastham Unit (Lovelady) – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 1 negative test; 0 positive tests; 0 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 56 recoveries; 741 negative tests; 20 positive tests; 934 medical restriction; and 20 medical isolation. There were also 17 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 49 active cases; 56 recoveries; and 50 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 12 active cases among TDCJ employees and 9 recoveries.
• Ellis Unit (Huntsville area) – On April 16, there were: 8 pending; 15 negative tests; 61 positive tests; 106 medical restriction; and 1 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 75 recoveries; 1,319 negative tests; 193 positive tests; 1,846 medical restriction; and 193 medical isolation. There were also 28 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 257 active cases; 77 recoveries; and 263 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 29 active cases among TDCJ employees and 12 recoveries.
• Estelle Unit (Huntsville area) – On April 16, there were: 6 pending; 63 negative tests; 52 positive tests; 1,487 medical restriction; and 5 medical isolation. There were also 6 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. On May 28, there were: 54 recoveries; 1,690 negative tests; 227 positive tests; 1,411 medical restriction; and 232 medical isolation. There were also 10 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 313 active cases; 105 recoveries; and 324 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 15 active cases among TDCJ employees and 18 recoveries.
• Ferguson Unit (Midway) – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 0 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 0 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 0 recoveries; 0 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 0 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. By June 4, there were: 5 active cases; 0 recoveries; and 5 offenders in medical isolation.
• Goree Unit (Huntsville) – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 1 negative tests; 2 positive tests; 62 medical restriction and 2 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 22 recoveries; 11 negative tests; 3 positive tests; 106 medical restriction; and 3 medical isolation. There were also 7 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 21 active cases; 25 recoveries; and 23 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 6 active cases among TDCJ employees and 3 recoveries.
• Holliday Transfer (Huntsville) – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 2 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 0 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. There was also 1 TDCJ employee who tested positive for COVID-19. On May 28, there were: 22 recoveries; 478 negative tests; 82 positive tests; 552 medical restriction; and 481 medical isolation. There were also 7 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 223 active cases; 25 recoveries; and 222 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 12 active cases among TDCJ employees and 2 recoveries.
• Huntsville Unit – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 4 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 2 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 36 recoveries; 300 negative tests; 68 positive tests; 593 medical restriction; and 80 medical isolation. There were also 1 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 163 active cases; 43 recoveries; and 163 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 5 active cases among TDCJ employees and 0 recoveries.
• Wynne Unit (Huntsville) – On April 16, there were: 1 pending; 4 negative tests; 38 positive tests; 1,830 medical restriction; and 39 medical isolation. There were also 14 TDCJ employee who tested positive for COVID-19. On May 28, there were: 68 recoveries; 1,523 negative tests; 197 positive tests; 1,573 medical restriction; and 197 medical isolation. There were also 37 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 82 active cases; 248 recoveries; and 87 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 23 active cases among TDCJ employees and 52 recoveries.

In Region II:

• Beto Unit (Palestine area) – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 15 negative tests; 118 positive tests; 2,346 medical restriction; and 118 medical isolation. There was also 1 TDCJ employee who tested positive for COVID-19. On May 28, there were: 156 recoveries; 135 negative tests; 55 positive tests; 437 medical restriction; and 58 medical isolation. There were also 31 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 67 active cases; 172 recoveries; and 64 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 16 active cases among TDCJ employees and 38 recoveries.

• Coffield Unit (Palestine area) – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 2 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 2 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 0 recoveries; 17 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 0 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. There was also 1 TDCJ employee who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 0 active cases; 0 recoveries; and 0 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 0 active cases among TDCJ employees and 2 recoveries.
• Gurney Transfer (Palestine area) – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 1 negative tests; 1 positive tests; 81 medical restriction; and 1 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 30 recoveries; 1,050 negative tests; 98 positive tests; 556 medical restriction; and 98 medical isolation. There were also 7 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 45 active cases; 102 recoveries; and 45 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 6 active cases among TDCJ employees and 1 recovery.
• Michael Unit (Palestine area) – On April 16, there were:  0 pending; 4 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 0 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 52 recoveries; 1,615 negative tests; 287 positive tests; 1,145 medical restriction; and 293 medical isolation. There were also 35 TDCJ employees who tested positive for COVID-19. By June 4, there were: 352 active cases; 78 recoveries; and 362 offenders in medical isolation. There were also 37 active cases among TDCJ employees and 20 recoveries.
• Powledge Unit (Palestine area) – On April 16, there were: 0 pending; 5 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 0 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. On May 28, there were: 0 recoveries; 3 negative tests; 0 positive tests; 0 medical restriction; and 0 medical isolation. By June 4, there were: 0 active cases; 0 recoveries; and 0 offenders in medical isolation. There were also no active cases among TDCJ employees and 1 recovery.

Since TDCJ began tracking the pandemic, system wide, 75,167 tests have been administered to offenders. Of those tested, 6,776 offenders were positive for COVID-19. Of those who tested positive, 1,917 have recovered, 42 have presumably died because of the virus and there are 27 pending autopsies.  

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].